The Streak Continues

The Ole Miss men's basketball team continued its undefeated season as they beat the in state Golden Buzzards on Friday night. I did not get to listen to most of the game. However it appears Eniel Polynice had a good game and was close to a triple double. Also Chris Warren continues to light it up, at this point in the season, this guy is a shoe in for SEC Freshman of the year. However we will see his true skills in a week or so as SEC play opens up, which will be an entirely different type of opponent the Rebels have seen thus far.

It has been a heck of a ride, and the national media is beginning to take notice of the job Andy Kennedy has done. The Rebs should more than likely crack the top 20 this week as several ranked teams above them lost this weekend.

(UMAA)
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (AP) - Chris Warren scored 17 points, Dwayne Curtis added 15 and No. 22 Ole Miss set a school record for consecutive wins to start the season with a 78-58 victory over Southern Miss on Friday night.
Warren started two runs that helped Ole Miss hold off streaky Southern Miss (8-5), including a personal 7-1 run that straddled halftime and featured a 3-pointer from 30 feet as time expired in the first half.
Ole Miss held Southern Miss without a point in the final 6 1/2 minutes to break open an entertaining back-and-forth game.
The Rebels' 12th straight win set the school record for consecutive victories to start the season. The Rebels started the 1936-37 and 2000-01 seasons with 11 straight wins. Both years, the Rebels finished with 20 or more victories.
The win also tied the school record for consecutive wins in a season, set in 1926.
Warren got things started for the Rebels, ranked for the first time since the final Associated Press poll of the 2000-01 season. But he sat for all but 7:43 of the last 10:39 because of foul trouble and Ole Miss had to turn to others to put Southern Miss away.
Curtis scored nine points and Eniel Polynice added seven in a decisive 23-7 run to end the game.
Polynice finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists as Ole Miss outscored Southern Miss 34-22 in the paint and 15-4 on second-chance baskets.

The Pictures of O-U Stadium

Above are pictures of the stadium that I promised. As I stated there is a whole heck of alot of work to be done to have this place in shape for fans to be able to attend games. Obviously there are going to be some headaches, but that comes with the territory as the program grows.

You will notice that we will lose alot of fans seats ont he hill this year. Should make the outfield situation even more interesting.

The Break

The Christmas break is going to bring some good photos to the blog in the next couple of days. For those of you that have not been to Oxford lately, you will be a little surprised at the baseball stadium. With a little over seven weeks until the first pitch, O-U Stadium is in no condition to play or host thousands of fans. I hope to show you some snapshots soon.

Also, another note of interest, one loyal reader spotted Tommy Tubberville in Colorado over the Christmas break. I guess Ears was not too worried about preparing for the Peach Bowl in Atlanta for New Years Eve.

Rebs Starting to Get Noticed

After a win over Clemson last weekend, the Ole Miss men's basketball team gained some national recognition as they finally cracked the top 25 poll debuting at number 25 and several players were recognized for their play.

My question now is, Will the Ole Miss nation begin to support this team, or will they only support them a couple of Saturdays in January and February?

(UMAA) OXFORD, Miss. - On the eve of Christmas, the Ole Miss men’s basketball team received recognition for its school-record best start of 11-0 as the Rebels are ranked No. 22 and No. 24 in this week’s Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Polls, respectively.
Ole Miss, which went 3-0 to capture the tournament crown at the San Juan Shootout over the weekend, is ranked nationally for the first time since finishing the 2000-01 season ranked as high as No. 9 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. Ole Miss is one of nine remaining undefeated teams in the country.
“It’s a long season and we have so much more to do, but I’m happy that our players have been acknowledged for all their hard work,” said Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy, whose Rebels were picked by most preseason publications to finish at the bottom of the SEC Western Division.
A pair of Rebels, freshman point guard Chris Warren and senior center Dwayne Curtis, earned some weekly honors Monday for their part in the San Juan success.
For the second time this season, Warren was named the SEC Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office. The 5-foot-10 guard received tourney MVP distinction after scoring 41 of his 49 points in the second half of the three Rebel wins in Puerto Rico. He poured in 19 points against both La Salle and Clemson, while adding nine assists and just two turnovers against the Explorers. In Saturday's 85-82 win over previously unbeaten No. 15 Clemson, Warren tallied eight of the Rebels' 10 points in the final four minutes to claim the tournament championship.
After garnering SEC Player of the Week accolades last Monday, Curtis was honored as National Player of the Week today by CollegeHoops.Net. The senior center poured in 19 points and had nine rebounds in the final against the Tigers, and he put up 21 points and seven boards against DePaul and 14 and five against La Salle. Curtis shot 61 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free-throw line in the three games. The Rebels wrap up 2007 in Southaven on Friday, facing Southern Miss at the DeSoto Civic Center. A win would give Ole Miss its best start in school history and tie the longest winning streak in program annals.

Rebs Pull of Major Win

Well they proved me wrong. I just did not think Kennedy and the boys could get passed Clemson, but they did. The Rebels took the lead early and for the most part held on for much of the first half. The second half the Rebels had trouble findimg the basket and were down by as much as six, before back to back threes tied the game.

This was a huge win, and possibly the biggest in AK's time at Ole Miss. A win against an ACC team who is number 15 in the nation on a neutral site will help drastically with RPI. This team will now be noticed in the media as they remain unbeaten. I expect them to break into the polls around No. 19.

Chris Warren continues to be clutch, and was named MVP of the tournament. Dwayne Curtis also had a great tournament on the boards and the scoring column. I also feel like it was a breakout for Huertas who had three pretty good games. This team has the guts to really be something special, it is going to be a fun winter.

(C-L)Ole Miss had trouble shooting Saturday, but the Rebels had no trouble continuing to do what they've done so far in this young basketball season - find a way to win.
Senior Dwayne Curtis and freshman Chris Warren scored 19 points each to lead the Rebels to an 85-82 victory over No. 15 Clemson in a matchup of unbeaten teams in the San Juan Shootout.
Ole Miss tied a school record with its 11th consecutive victory to open a season.
And the Rebels did it despite shooting just 27 percent in the second half.
"Our guys are gritty," said second-year Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy. "They make the plays that we need to make. ... The effort was unbelievable. It was the hardest we've played."
Ole Miss led by as many as six but then fell behind by six, 78-72, with 4:19 left.
But the Rebels tied it on 3-pointers by Warren and David Huertas, then made free throws down the stretch.
Ole Miss outrebounded Clemson 40-33, including 23 offensive rebounds.
"Our undoing was the offensive glass," said Clemson coach Oliver Purnell, whose team grabbed 12 offensive rebounds. "They're a gutsy team, I give them a lot of credit."
Warren and Curtis, who had nine rebounds, went a combined 4-for-5 from the free-throw line in the final 90 seconds for Ole Miss, which last started 11-0 during the 2000-01 season.
"Clemson is a very good team, and this is a win we'll be able to hang our hat on deep into the year if we continue to improve because they're going to beat a lot of people," Kennedy said.
Eniel Polynice and David Huertas both added 14 points for the Rebels.
Terrence Oglesby led Clemson (10-1) with 20 points, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
K.C. Rivers added 19 points for the Tigers and Raymond Sykes had 17.
Warren's layup after a steal by Huertas capped an 8-0 Ole Miss run and gave it the lead for good, 80-78 with 2:55 remaining.
"My teammates find me, and I find them," said Warren, who was selected the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Trailing by eight points at halftime, Clemson took its first lead of the second half at 54-53 on a soaring one-handed dunk by Sykes with 13:15 remaining. But the Rebels kept their composure despite the run.
"I think we've got grinders, and the fact that we've been in this situation before with some close games allowed us to not panic and continue to grind," Kennedy said.
Ole Miss opened the game on an 8-2 run capped by Polynice's put-back of his own rebound. The Rebels went ahead 41-32 on a 3-pointer by Warren with 3:22 to play in the first half and held on for the 48-40 halftime lead.
Curtis was 7-for-7 from the field in the first half when Ole Miss outscored the Tigers 34-18 in the paint.
"The difference was our intensity, especially the first five minutes of the game," Curtis said. "There's a lot of things to work on, too, but this shows what we're capable of doing."
Clemson had six blocks and held the Rebels to 27-percent shooting in the second half, but the Rebels dominated the boards and had 24 second-chance points compared to 11 for the Tigers.
"We just responded down the stretch, stepping up and making big plays," Kennedy said.
A cheering section of family and friends of Huertas, a native of Humacao, Puerto Rico, gave Ole Miss an edge in crowd support inside the nearly empty arena in this suburb of San Juan.
Ole Miss is off until Friday, when it plays Southern Miss at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven.

Yet Another Close One

The Rebels watched a lead slip away against LaSalle(Sid?) last night. But in the end a win is a win. As Kennedy put it in postgame, "two steps forward, two steps back". Glad to see Eniel Polynice put up a good game, we are going to need more out of him as the season goes along.

Toughest matchup of the season tonight, as two unbeatens go up against each other when the Rebels take on the Tigers from Clemson. One of the biggest games in the Kennedy era. Too bad there is not tv to watch two undefeated ACC vs. SEC teams.(Then again, we may not want to see this game, as it could get ugly)

(UMAA)
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – Ole Miss moved to a perfect 10-0 on the year to set up a matchup of unbeatens between the Rebels and 15th-ranked Clemson Tigers on Saturday with an 84-77 win over La Salle on Friday evening at the San Juan Shootout.

The Rebels are now one win shy of tying their school-best start of 11 straight victories, set in 1936-37 and tied by the 2000-01 NCAA Sweet Sixteen squad.

Eniel Polynice topped Ole Miss with 20 points, including 14 in the second half. Chris Warren added 19 points with 12 coming in the second period. Dwayne Curtis and David Huertas each chipped in 14 in the winning effort.

Polynice filled up his line of the box score with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The Rebels led 42-29 at halftime, but a 9-0 run by La Salle early in the second half cut the Ole Miss lead and spurred the Explorers to tie the score seven times and make six lead changes.

Five Explorers scored in double figures, led by Yves Mekongo Mbala and Rodney Green with 15 points apiece.

Rebs Win Another Close One

Ole Miss got passed Depaul this afternoon in what was an up and down game for both teams where the lead only got to about five for most of the game for either team. There were multiple lead changes in a game that had listeners very anxious.

A clutch play call for Andy Kennedy in the final minute when he drew up a play for Chris Warren to drain a three pointer to put the Rebs up four with seconds to play in the game. Depaul is not a great team, but they played well and have matched up well against several good teams this year. Clutch game for Warren and a big game for Kenny Williams as he grabbed 16 boards on the game. Also another great game for Dwayne Curtis who had 21 points for the Rebs.

This is the second game in a row where the Rebs have pulled it out in the final minutes. One of these days it is going to catch up with them. Ole Miss takes on La Salle tomorrow in their second of a three game tournament.

(UMAA)
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – Ole Miss struggled shooting against a physical DePaul squad, but made the clutch shots down the stretch to remain perfect at 9-0 and prevail 69-63 in the Rebels’ first of three games at the San Juan Shootout.

Dwayne Curtis led the Rebels with 21 points and made 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Kenny Williams posted his third double-double of the year with 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Chris Warren added 11 points (all in the second half) and David Huertas 10.

Ole Miss held DePaul to six field goals in the second half and none over the last nine minutes of the game.

Warren hit a big three with 30 seconds remaining when he went up with an off-balance shot and drained it to seal the win.

Draelon Burns topped the Blue Demons with 17 points, including 12-of-12 free throws. Karron Clarke added 11 points and 11 rebounds and Wesley Green chipped in 10 points.

There were 11 lead changes in the game and the score was tied nine times.

The Blue Demons led 31-27 at halftime, the first time all season the Rebels have trailed at the break. Both teams struggled from the floor in the first half, with DePaul edging Ole Miss 34.3 percent to 30.6 percent. Curtis cored a team-high eight in the first period, while Williams grabbed 10 boards in the half.

Rebels Leave the Mainland

The Ole Miss basketball team has left Oxford and landed in Puerto Rico for a three day tournament this weekend. It will be the biggest challenge for the Rebels thus far. This weekend will really tell us where the team is. The Rebels enter the tourney undefeated, I am hoping they leave with only one loss, however that is going to be a challenge. Not only are the Rebels playing out of their comfort zone, but they will be going up against #15 ranked Clemson on Saturday. Should be an interesting few days for Rebel basketball fans.

(UMAA Notes)

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEMONS DePaul is 2-5 on the year after their most recent defeat vs. UIC. The Blue Demons are looking to break a three-game losing streak, which includes losses to Kansas and Vanderbilt, both of which are still undefeated. DePaul is averaging 75.0 points per game, with Draelon Burns leading four players in double figures with 18.6 ppg. The team is allowing 79.0 points per contest, however, while opponents are also making shots at a .470 clip.

OLE MISS-DePAUL SERIES The Rebels and Blue Demons have met just once before, with DePaul prevailing by a 75-67 score on March 25, 1983.

SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS La Salle enters the week with a 3-4 record. The Explorers are 2-1 at home, but 1-3 on the road. La Salle scores 67.9 points per game shooting at a .419 clip from the field and .375 from behind the arc. Darnell Harris leads the club with 17.0 points per contest, while Rodney Green and Ruben Guillandeaux put up over 11 points per game.

OLE MISS-LA SALLE SERIES Friday’s game will be the first meeting between the Rebels and Explorers.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS Clemson is one of 14 unbeaten teams in the country with an 8-0 record. The Tigers are No. 15 in both national polls this week. Clemson is scoring 79.9 points per game and holding opponents to just 63.0 points. The Tigers are shooting .448 from the field and .412 from the 3-point line, while they also rank among the nation’s top 15 in both steals and blocked shots. K.C. Rivers leads four Tigers in double figure scoring with 15.9 ppg. James Mays, a preseason All-America pick who is listed as questionable with a sprained hip, put up 14.8 ppg through five games.

OLE MISS-CLEMSON SERIES The Rebels dropped an 89-68 decision to the Tigers in last year’s second round of the NIT with Tiger center Trevor Booker scoring a career-high 21. Clemson went on to play in the championship game. The Tigers hold a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series with Ole Miss winning 53-49 in the first round of the NIT at Clemson on March 12, 1982 and the Tigers prevailing in ‘65 and ‘74.

A Look at Tracy Rocker - Defense

(Hog Wired)A two-time All-American and a three-time All-SEC selection as a player at Auburn, Tracy Rocker captured both the Outland Trophy (nation’s top interior lineman) and the Lombardi Trophy (nation’s top lineman) in his senior season with the Tigers.

Rocker was also named SEC Player of the Year during his senior season. He finished his career with 354 tackles, including 21 quarterback sacks and 48 tackles for loss. During his tenure, Auburn won a pair of league titles. He was voted to the school’s Team of the Century in 1993.

Rocker went on to play two seasons in the NFL with the Washington Redskins. He was selected to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1990. He then concluded his playing career with a one-year stint with the Orlando Thunder in the World Football League.

He returned to Auburn to complete his undergraduate degree in 1992 and began his coaching career at Auburn (Ala.) High School in the same year. After serving two seasons as defensive coordinator at the prep school, he spent three years as a defensive line coach at West Alabama (1994-96).

Rocker joined Arkansas’ staff after one year at Cincinnati where he helped the Bearcats win a share of the 2002 Conference USA title.

Prior to his stint at Cincinnati, Rocker spent five seasons as the defensive line coach at Troy State University in Troy, Ala. While at TSU, three of his players earned Division I-AA All-America honors, including Al Lucas, who earned the 1999 Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Division I-AA. A total of 13 TSU players garnered all-conference accolades under Rocker.

Five of Rocker’s players at TSU went on to sign NFL contracts, including Marcus Spriggs, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round in 1999.

Rocker also spent part of the summer in 2001 working as an intern with the Indianapolis Colts and, in 2006, working with the Tampa Bay Bucaneers. Originally from Atlanta, Ga., Rocker and his wife, Lalitha, have a son, Kumar (11/22/99).

P-Willie

I failed to mention this yesterday. Congratulations to Patrick Willis who was named to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday. We all knew that Patrick Willis would have an impact on the NFL, but who knew it would be this fast. As stated below, Willis is on pace to to have more tackels by a defender than any player in one year of the history of the NFL. It is amazing he did this in just his first year. Who knows what kind of records he will set over the coming years.


SAN FRANCISCO - Former Ole Miss Rebel and current San Francisco 49er linebacker Patrick Willis has been selected to participate in the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl. Willis has proven to be one of the top young defenders in the NFL as a rookie, leading the league with 190 tackles. He is on pace for the most tackles by a defender ever in NFL history and was named NFC Defensive Rookie for the Month of October. Willis has also had two 20-plus tackle performances on the year, notching a 49ers-record 21 tackles against Arizona (11-25-07) and 20 against Carolina (12-2-07).
The 49ers also honored Willis as a co-winner of the team's Bill Walsh Award. Willis becomes the first rookie to win the award, which was established in 2004 in honor of San Francisco’s Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh.
Willis topped the SEC in tackles and earned first team All-America distinction in each of his final two seasons at Ole Miss. As a senior, he won the Butkus Award and Lambert Trophy as the nation’s top linebacker.

A Look At Assitants

Something I have failed to do over the last few weeks is post profiles of several of the new assistants that will be added to the Nutt staff. Part of the reason I have not posted anything is due to the fact some of the staff is still coaching at Arkansas for the Cotton Bowl. I am tired of waiting and hope to have all announced assistants profile posted, that have not been linked already, before the end of the year.

David Lee-Offensive Coordinator

Note that Lee was formerly at Ole Miss in the late 70's early 80's

(Hog-wired)The 31-year coaching veteran served seven seasons at Rice University (1994-2000) as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Hatfield’s staff. Upon his arrival at Rice, he helped lead the Owls to a share of the Southwest Conference title in 1994 and their first win over Texas since 1965. During his tenure, Rice racked up six of the school’s top rushing totals, including a school-record 332.7 yards-per-game average in 1997.
Rice ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing three times during his stay. In addition to his thorough knowledge of the option offense, Lee has seen six of his quarterbacks drafted or sign free-agent deals following their collegiate careers.
From 1989-93 he was the head coach at Texas-El Paso before joining Hatfield at Rice as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1994.
Lee first teamed with Hatfield during Arkansas’ successful run in the late 1980s. As UA’s quarterbacks coach, Lee helped direct Razorback teams that sported a 45-15-1 record with five consecutive bowl appearances.
Included in that run was the 1986 season in which Arkansas quarterbacks threw just two interceptions (a SWC record) while helping the Hogs to a 10-2 record and an Orange Bowl appearance.
Promoted to offensive coordinator in 1988, Lee helped engineer the Hogs’ first Southwest Conference championship in nine years and first outright league title since 1965. The 1988 offensive unit committed just 11 turnovers in 11 games and led the nation in turnover ratio while featuring a pair of All-SWC sophomores, quarterback Quinn Grovey and fullback Barry Foster.
Lee began his coaching career in 1975 at Tennessee-Martin where he tutored quarterbacks and receivers for two seasons while organizing the first Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter in the school’s history.
After spending the 1977 season at Vanderbilt as quarterbacks coach, Lee spent five seasons at Ole Miss from 1978-82 where he directed two record-setting quarterbacks – Kent Austin and John Fourcade – for five seasons. In 1983, Lee served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at New Mexico.
A three-year letterman at Vanderbilt, Lee served as team captain and was named the team’s most valuable player in 1974 after quarterbacking the Commodores to a 7-3-2 record, including a 24-10 upset of No. 5 Florida. Lee was voted SEC Player of the Week by the Associated Press after leading Vanderbilt to its first win over the Gators in 15 years.
Lee went on to lead the SEC in passing and guided his team to a 6-6 tie with Texas Tech in the Peach Bowl. That same season, Lee served as president of Vanderbilt’s FCA chapter.
A native of Dexter, Mo., Lee prepped at Woodham High School in Pensacola, Fla., where he graduated in 1971. Lee earned an undergraduate degree in history from Vanderbilt in 1975. Born July 2, 1953, Lee is married to the former Lynne Kazanowski. The couple has four children – daughters Dana and Shannon, and sons Brian and Jordan.

COACHING HISTORY
1975-76 Tennessee-Martin (assistant coach – quarterbacks,
receivers)
1977 Vanderbilt (assistant coach – quarterbacks)
1978-82 Ole Miss (assistant coach – quarterbacks)
1983 New Mexico (offensive coordinator – quarterbacks)
1984-88 Arkansas (assistant coach – quarterbacks/fullbacks)
1989-93 UTEP (head coach)
1994-2000 Rice (offensive coordinator – quarterbacks)
2001- 02 Arkansas (assistant coach – quarterbacks)
2003-05 Dallas Cowboys (offensive quality control)

Mike Markuson

(Hogwired)

Offensive line coach and running game coordinator Mike Markuson, set to enter his 10th season with the Razorbacks, has been a key to that success. In fact, the Hogs have led the SEC in rushing four of the last five campaigns.

A native of Farmington, Minn., Markuson began his coaching career at Farmington High School – his prep alma mater – as the school’s defensive line coach in 1983. He began his collegiate coaching career in 1984 with a two-year stint as the defensive line coach at South Dakota State, where he earned his master’s in physical education in 1986. After spending the 1986 season as the defensive line coach at his collegiate alma mater – Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. – Markuson began his two-year graduate assistantship at Oklahoma State. While in Stillwater, he helped the Cowboys to a 35-33 win over West Virginia in the 1987 Sun Bowl and a 62-14 win over Wyoming in the 1988 Holiday Bowl behind five touchdowns and 222 rushing yards by Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders.

In 1989, Markuson served as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame under former Arkansas head coach Lou Holtz. That Fighting Irish team posted a 12-1 record and finished No. 2 in the final Associated Press rankings after toppling Colorado in the Orange Bowl.

Markuson landed his first full-time collegiate coaching position in 1990 when he was named the offensive line coach at Austin Peay. He then served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Alabama A&M during the 1991 and 1992 seasons.

Markuson was a three-year football letterman at Farmington High School where he served as team co-captain and earned all-conference honors as a senior. He went on to Hamline where he was a four-year starter at defensive tackle and a two-time honorable mention All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection for the Pipers. He was also team co-captain as a senior.

Born June 15, 1961, Markuson is married to the former Dottie Bryant. The couple has a daughter, Joy Noel (9/28/93), and a son, Elliot Bryan (11/28/94).

Curtis Honored By The League

Dwayne Curtis picked SEC Player of Week honors this week for his play against Winthrop. He was a big part of the win and it would have been tough to win this one without him. The undefeated Rebels have a huge test coming up later this week. I will preview the tournament in Puerto Rico later this week.

(SEC)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After scoring 22 points with 11 rebounds and helping Ole Miss to a 76-71 win over Winthrop, Ole Miss center Dwayne Curtis was tabbed as the Southeastern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

Curtis posted his fourth double-double in the last six games and collected season highs in points and rebounds on Thursday. He also helped Ole Miss secure its eighth straight win to open the season, the best start since the 2000-01 team reeled off 11 straight victories.

The senior finished three points shy of his career high and made good on 10-of-12 from the floor to improve his season field-goal percentage to .712, which ranks second in the SEC. He leads the team with 14.8 points per game, while Ole Miss as a team ranks third in the nation at 89.9 points per game.

This is the second weekly honor for a Rebel this season. Chris Warren was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 3. It is the second career honor for Curtis, who was the SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 7, 2006 after leading Ole Miss to a win at Alabama with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Roundballer Leaves Team

It was announced this weekend that Wesley Jones has left the Ole Miss basketball team. Jones was in his first year at Ole Miss and was a transfer from Pearl River Community College. He has seen very little minutes in the games the Rebels have played this year.

I specifically remember saying to someone next to me at the MVSU game that there was no way this guy was going to make it. He looked pretty bad out on the court and could not throw it in the ocean when we was shooting. Obviously he saw the light and realized he would not be getting any playing time.

Thanks Cut!!

Former Rebel Head Coaches Land New Jobs

Two former Ole Miss head coaches have reportedly landed new jobs today. David Cutcliffe is being reported as the new head coach a Duke, which I would think is an outstanding fit for him. Duke is very very bad at football and it will be a challenge for Cut to turn this program into a winning one, but I think he will win some games there, it will just take time. It is probably a more stable job than the OC at UT. The ESPN story below explains the Cut deal.

Also today, rumors are floating that Ed Orgeron has been hired as the D-Line coach at the Oakland Raiders. I have no idea if this is true. What I do know to be true is the fact that Kiffen and Orgeron are very good friends, and Kiffen is probably helping his buddy get back into the game. I don't see Orgeron staying in the pros too long.

(ESPN)Tennessee assistant head coach David Cutcliffe has agreed in principle to become the next football coach at Duke, sources with knowledge of the situation said Friday.
It is expected that Cutcliffe will be announced as Blue Devils coach in the next few days and will be introduced at a Monday news conference in Durham, N.C. Cutcliffe will remain with Tennessee through the Volunteers' bowl game.
Citing sources in the Vols program, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported on its Web site early Friday that Cutcliffe was expected to accept the post.
At media day before the Vols' Outback Bowl matchup with Wisconsin, Cutcliffe said he had not been offered the job at Duke. He declined to take any questions about the vacancy, but acknowledged he interviewed for the job.
Longtime NFL assistant coach Hue Jackson, currently the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, interviewed for the vacancy on Friday. Duke.
Duke has been looking for a new coach since Nov. 26, when the school fired Ted Roof after a 1-11 record in 2007 and a 6-45 mark in five seasons.

Rebs Get Passed Winthrop

Ole Miss got passed Winthrop tonight in the capital city as they won 76-71. The Eagles and the Rebels were neck in neck for pretty much the whole game. Both teams shared the lead for large portions of the game until the Rebels took it over or good with about five minutes left in the game. It was a sloppy night for the Rebels as a couple of players were off the mark all night. Luckily Dwayne Curtis stepped up and played big for the Rebels putting up 22 points. While it was a little ugly, the main thing is a win against a good team with a good RPI. Winthrop is a good team that matches up against any team in the country and has made several runs in the NCAA Tourney.

I will say the crowd was about what I expected. I have heard rumors the crowd was about 4500. Some Jackson homers on the internet will defend their city and say it was a good crowd, yada yada yada. All I can say is no it was not. If you watched this game on tv all you saw was open seats behind the goals on both sides. It looked pathetic. I just really do not understand why we could not get more fans at the game. I think Kennedy will probably say publicly that he thought it was a good crowd for the first game in many years in Jackson. But deep down he has got to be a little disappointed. He brought an undefeated team into the state's capital city to play a fairly good opponent and only had 4500 people there. When are these idiot fans going to realize there are other sports out their besides football? Maybe I am wrong in calling those out that did not go, but I see no excuse why there should not be more than 4500 fans in attendance.(unless you had med school exams)



JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -Dwayne Curtis had 22 points and 11 rebounds and David Huertas hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start a game-changing run as Mississippi beat Winthrop 76-71 Thursday.
Curtis, the tallest player on the court at 6-foot-8, hit two key jumpers in the final 5:07 to end two short Winthrop rallies and Trevor Gaskins helped the Rebels (8-0) remain undefeated and off to their best start since the 2000-01 season with a game-clinching 3-pointer late.
The Eagles (5-4), who were led by Antwon Harris' 17 points, led by as much six in the first half and built a 46-39 lead after a 13-4 run to start the second half. But Huertas ended that run when he hit 3-pointers from the same spot on the right wing just 23 seconds apart to cut Winthrop's lead to 46-45 with 15:74 remaining.
That started a 20-8 run that included five points from Chris Warren, who finished with 10 points and five assists.
The Eagles, three-time Big South champions looking for another win over a major conference team after upsetting Georgia Tech earlier this season, remained in the game till the final 2 minutes.
Chris Gaynor hit a 3-pointer to pull the Eagles within 69-67 with 3:33 to go, but Gaskins hit a 3-pointer from the right wing with 2:12 left to seal the win.
Taj McCullough had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles, while Gaynor and Michael Jenkins added 12.
Gaskins scored 10 for the Rebels, who are three wins away from matching their 11-0 start in 2000-01.

Rebels Add Another Staff Member

Houston Nutt announced the addition of Chris Vaughn to his Ole Miss coaching staff. Vaughn is leaving Fayettville and will be in Oxford tomorrow to begin recruiting. The announcement of Bobby Petrino to Arkansas sparked the movement of Vaughn to Ole Miss.

I have to say I am a little disappointed that no one else is following Vaughn to Ole Miss at this time. It appears the remainder of the coaching staff who has plans to come to Oxford will remain at Arkansas through the Cotton Bowl. I feel like since Patrino is in Arkansas now that the coaches who have committed to Ole Miss should now be allowed to come to Oxford. I just do not think it is fair for the coaches to be coaching the current Razorback team while Petrino is out there recruiting.

(UMAA) OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss head football coach Houston Nutt continues to assemble his first Rebel staff and announced Wednesday the addition of a familiar face in Chris Vaughn. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.

Vaughn, who was the first player Nutt recruited as a head coach at Murray State, had served on Nutt’s Arkansas staff the past nine seasons, including four as recruiting coordinator.

On the field, Vaughn’s coaching responsibilities have included the outside linebackers (2000-04), the outside linebackers and strong safeties (2001-03) and all safeties (2005, 2007). He spent the 2006 season as the director of on-campus recruiting.

“I'm excited about the addition of Chris Vaughn to our staff,” Nutt said. “He's an excellent recruiter with great people skills. Most of all, he makes a big difference in the lives of 18 and 19-year olds. Chris will begin working with our staff immediately.”

In 2003, Vaughn guided a unit that helped Arkansas finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference in total defense and fourth in passing defense. The Razorbacks also ranked third in pass efficiency defense.

As outside linebackers coach, Vaughn was instrumental in developing Tony Bua into an All-SEC performer. Bua earned All-SEC honors in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and ended his career as Arkansas’ all-time leading tackler with 408 stops before being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2004.

In 2001, Vaughn helped Arkansas' defense rank second in the SEC in the red zone by allowing teams to score 68.3 percent of the time, and third in the league and 30th nationally with a plus-five turnover margin. Vaughn also helped coach a 2000 defensive unit which led the conference and was 12th nationally in total defense by allowing just 292.1 yards per game.

The first player with whom Nutt made an in-home visit after his hiring at Murray State in 1994, Vaughn went on to earn four letters as a linebacker at MSU. He played his first three seasons for the Racers under Nutt and was a member of Murray State teams that claimed back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference titles.

Vaughn earned All-OVC honors as a senior in 1997 and earned his bachelor’s degree in advertising from Murray State in 1998.

A native of Tallahassee, Fla., Vaughn is married to the former Marquette Foster and they are the parents of Christopher Matthew Vaughn II, Cienna Marquette and Camryn McNeil.

Times They Are A Changing

Well who thought another spin could be put on the SEC West coaching carousel. When you all thought it had settled down, Arkansas put another log on the fire. Bobby Petrino announced late this afternoon his resignation from the Atlanta Falcons. Petrino will be the next head coach at the University of Arkansas. It took the Hogs a few weeks, but they landed what many will call a "huge pickup." Petrino had been mentioned, but no one thought he would actually leave the Falcons after one year for Fayetville.

How will this effect the Ole Miss staff? That is a good question. I would guess Petrino would leave the Falcons immediately and begin work for Arkansas. That then opens up questions with assistants. Several assistants currently at Arkansas have shown interest to continue work with Nutt at Ole Miss, and more than likely they would all not stay to work for Petrino. Hopefully the Ole Miss staff will finally be more solid by the first of next week.

Rebels Add DC

Head Coach Houston Nutt announced today that Tyrone Nix has been named defensive coordinator for the Rebels. Nix the former Southern Miss standout comes to Ole Miss from South Carolina where he has been on the Steve Spurrier staff for the past several years.

Nix has been a pretty succesful D-Cordinator in his short time of coaching. His teams have been tops in pass defense, an area the Rebels have lacked for many many years. Nix is a young coach who has been mentioned for several head coaching jobs this offseason. He will bring alot of excitement to the staff and will be a strong tie with recruits.


(UMAA) OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss head football coach Houston Nutt announced Tuesday that he has selected Tyrone Nix to serve as defensive coordinator on his first Rebel staff. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.

“Tyrone Nix is one of the up-and-coming, bright defensive coordinators in America,” Nutt said. “I love the fact that he has a deep connection with the state of Mississippi. He has a great name in this state, has recruited the state and knows the high school coaches. Tyrone is also an excellent teacher and knows how to relate to young men.”

Nix, 35, has been one of the youngest defensive coordinators in Division I college football for the past seven years, directing defenses for his alma mater, Southern Miss, and most recently South Carolina.

This year, he helped manage a Gamecock unit that topped the SEC and ranked fifth nationally in pass defense, allowing just 168.8 yards through the air. In 2006, the USC defense was sixth in the SEC and 29th in the country in scoring defense, surrendering 18.7 points per game, 4.5 fewer than in 2005 despite returning just one starter.

During his 10 years on the Southern Miss staff, Nix coached every position on defense and served as defensive coordinator the last four seasons, when the Golden Eagles’ defense was among college football’s toughest. From 2001-03, USM was top-15 in the nation in both scoring defense and pass efficiency defense each season.

A 2003 Broyles Award finalist, Nix entered the 2001 campaign with the distinction of being the youngest coordinator in the country at 29 years of age. Despite losing seven defensive starters from the previous year, Nix's 2001 USM defense finished in the NCAA leaders in scoring defense (8th), total defense (11th), pass efficiency defense (12th), rushing defense (13th) and turnover margin (21st).

Nix earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Miss in 1995 after being a standout linebacker and team captain. A native of Attalla, Ala., Nix and his wife, Toya, have one son, Tyvari, and one daughter, Tiah.

Rebs Plan Trip to Jackson

The Rebels will carry a 7-0 record into Jackson this weekend. There has been talk recently about the number of fans that will be in attendance, alot of the message boards on the internet have guessed around 4,000. This is pathetic.

The Rebels are playing in the capital city, which I would guess has the largest Ole Miss alumni base. To have only 4,000 fans in attendance would be an absolute joke in my opinion. This team is off to one of its best starts in school history, and for only 4,000 to show up would be a big disappointment to not only the team, but the University.

Many Rebel fans have no clue what this basketball team is like and it blows my mind. It took several years for the fans to embrace the baseball team and their winning ways and it is still a work in progress. Why all these nonsense fans can not understand there is a sport out there besides football is beyond me. Why you can get 62,000 people in a stadium for football game and not even 9,000 in an area in your capital city, I will never understand.

(UMAA)
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men’s basketball team will conduct a series of events for Rebel fans and alumni in Jackson, Miss., surrounding next Thursday’s game against the Winthrop Eagles at the Mississippi Coliseum.

The Rebels will play their first game in Jackson since 1989 when they take on Winthrop at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Tickets for the game are available by calling the Mississippi Coliseum Ticket Office at 601-353-0603, or by going through Ticketmaster. Prices are $15 (general) and $20 (floor level) for the Winthrop game and $16 for the Southern Miss game.

On Wednesday, Dec. 12, the Ole Miss players and staff will visit the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital and Children’s Cancer Clinic at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Last year, the Rebels stopped by St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis prior to their game against the Tigers.

Following the hospital visit, Ole Miss will hold a practice session open to the public from 3:45 to 5 p.m. at the Mississippi Coliseum. Rebel fans are encouraged to stick around after the workout to get autographs and visit with the team from 5-6 p.m.

Head coach Andy Kennedy will speak at the Rebel Club of Jackson meeting at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening. Admission to the event is free for Rebel Club members, students and children. There is a $20 admission fee for non-Rebel Club members, which includes food.

Rebs Continue Streak

(UMAA)ORLANDO (AP) - Chris Warren scored 18 points to help Ole Miss beat Central Florida 76-67 on Saturday, keeping the Rebels off to their best start in six years.
Ole Miss (7-0) handed Central Florida its first loss in the new UCF Arena, which came before a school-record crowd of 5,574. The Rebels haven't won their first seven games since the 2000-01 season.
Warren and Trevor Gaskins both provided Ole Miss with some cushion in the first half, combining to hit 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. Central Florida, meanwhile, managed to hit just one of 11 attempts from long range.
After the Rebels took a 42-32 lead into the break, a 15-6 run in the second half made it 62-49. The Knights responded by scoring the next 12 points, capped off by a 3-pointer from Jermaine Taylor with 4:39 remaining, only to see Ole Miss outscore them 14-6 the rest of the way.
Taylor paced the Knights offensively, finishing with 19 points.

Hardy Named All American

Pretty impressive for a guy who missed several games this year.

(UMAA)
NEW HAVEN, CT – Ole Miss’ Greg Hardy has been distinguished as one of college football’s best players, making the 2007 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team, the 118th honored by the organization.

The nation’s oldest All-America team was announced live Thursday on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show.

Hardy was named a second team defensive lineman after a stellar sophomore campaign that saw him rank fifth in the nation in TFLs (18.0) and tie for sixth in sacks (10.0). The Millington, Tenn., native also ranked second in the SEC with three forced fumbles and hauled in two touchdown catches on offense.

The Walter Camp All-America team is selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision schools and certified by UHY Advisors, a New Haven-based accounting firm. Walter Camp Football Foundation President John Barbarotta was pleased with the voting participation.

“We had 80 percent of the Bowl Subdivision schools participate in this year’s voting,” Barbarotta said. “We are very appreciative of the cooperation of the coaches and SIDs in our effort to honor the most outstanding college players each and every season.”

Walter Camp, “The Father of American Football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.

Members of the 2007 Walter Camp All-America team will be honored at the organization’s national awards banquet on January 12, 2008 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven. Please call (203) 288-CAMP for tickets ($275).

Rebels Take Show on the Road

The Ole Miss basketball team hit the road today as they traveled to Orlando to take on the University of Central Florida. The Knights are 4-3 on the season and an average team. However it will be a strong test for the Rebels and the freshmen on the team, as this is the first road game for the Rebels this season.

There are several Rebels from the Orlando area so there should be a strong base of Ole Miss fans in attendance. I am very interested to see how this game turns out and think it is a great game for the team to be playing at this part of the season.

(Notes from UMAA)

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS UCF has turned a challenging schedule into a 4-3 record to open the season. The Knights won their opening game against Nevada. After dropping games to nationally ranked Villanova and Kansas State squads at the Old Spice Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., the Knights upended Penn State 70-59 to close out the tourney. UCF most recenlty lost to USF 75-67 in its first true road game of the year. The Knights average 71.0 points per game, led by junior guard Jermaine Taylor’s 17.4 ppg. The team plays in the brand new UCF Arena that holds 10,000. Kirk Speraw is in his 15th year as the head coach of the Knights and has guided them to an average of 21 wins over the past five years. He has also led the team to four NCAA Tournaments (‘94, ‘96, ‘04, ‘05).

OLE MISS-UCF SERIES The Rebels and Knights will be meeting for the first time on the hardcourt.

HOMECOMING FOR SEVERAL REBELS Ole Miss has a very strong Sunshine State presence with five players that either hail from or played high school in the state of Florida. Sophomore guard Eniel Polynice is a Sarasota native, while senior forward Kenny Williams is from Miami and played two seasons at St. Petersburg Junior College, and freshman point guard Chris Warren hails from Orlando. A pair of Caribbean natives played high school ball in Florida, including sophomore Puerto Rican David Huertas (Arlington Country Day HS - Jacksonville; University of Florida) and freshman Kevin Cantinol (Calvary Christian HS - Clearwater) from the island of Martinique in the French West Indies.

STRONG START Ole Miss has won six straight to open the 2007-08 campaign, the best start since the 2000-01 team reeled off 11 straight victories en route to a school-record 27 wins and an NCAA Tournament “Sweet Sixteen” Appearance. The last time Ole Miss won six or more games in a row was Dec. 19, 2005-Jan. 14, 2006 when the Rebels won seven straight.

More Coach Talk

Couple of things were discussed today as fans speculated the makeup of Nutt's assistant coaching staff at Ole Miss.

Tony Hughes was rumored to be on the road recruiting for the Rebels. Hughes spent last season as the tight ends coach for Coach O. It was reported earlier that Nutt had told the Ole Miss staff there was a slim chance any would be retained. It looks like Hughes might be that slim chance that is retained. While nothing is official and probably will not be for a few days, Hughes appears to really want to be on this staff. His son, Jamison, was a freshman on the team last year, so it is understandable Hughes desire to remain on staff. Coach Hughes is very well connected in the Mississippi area and has been noted by several recruits as a major factor for staying committed to Ole Miss. I hope everything works out for Hughes and Nutt.

The name Clint Stoerner has surfaced as a possible quarterbacks coach for Nutt at Ole Miss. Stoener was a QB under Nutt at Arkansas and later played for the Cowboys for several years before being released. He has played for the past several years in various football league's around the country. Stoerner is a young guy and based on various articles I have researched, this will be his first coaching job.

Arkansas Expected to Hire Grobe

Arkansas is expected to hire Jim Grobe from Wake Forest by this weekend. This news should change the future of the Ole Miss coaching staff and the staff should begin to firm up by the end of next week.

(Arkansas Democrat Gazette)Wake Forest Coach Jim Grobe appears set to become Arkansas’ next coach, according to multiple sources.
Grobe interviewed with incoming Razorbacks Athletic Director Jeff Long on Tuesday and sources said Wednesday night it appeared to be a “done deal” that Grobe would join the staff at Arkansas.
Grobe has led Wake Forest, previously considered a football weakling, to a 45-39 record in seven seasons, including 19-7 the past two years.
In 2006 the Demon Deacons finished 11-3, won their first ACC title since 1970 and played in the Orange Bowl, where they lost to Louisville 24-13.
Grobe, 55, was a consensus choice for ACC Coach of the Year and earned multiple national coach of the year honors for Wake Forest’s 2006 season. He followed that up by leading the Demon Deacon to an 8-4 record this season, including a second consecutive victory over Florida State, and a spot in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against Connecticut on Dec. 29 in Charlotte, N.C.

Meet New Ole Miss Assistant Ron Dickerson

Tubs Staying at Auburn

(AL.Com)NEW YORK - Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville has agreed on a two-year contract extension and a $200,000 a-year raise and will sign a deal that will run through the 2013 season.
Tuberville said a deal had been reached after a meeting with Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs late Friday afternoon.
``We're excited about it,'' Tuberville said. ``It's one of those things that we worked it slow. I know people have been anxious. I haven't been looking at any other job. I don't want any other job. I love Auburn. We want to be at Auburn a long time, as long as we can be there. Good things happen slow. We're excited about it.''
Tuberville said he agreed to the extension, the raise and a buyout. He also said the extension will assure his assistant coaches will have security, an issue he stressed the last several weeks.
``We made sure the coaches are comfortable, and they are,'' Tuberville said. ``They're excited about it.''
Tuberville, who is in New York for Tuesday night's National Football Foundation Hall of Fame banquet, will sign a contract worth $2.8 million next season. It will escalate to $3.8 million in 2013.

Kim Dameron

Kim Dameron is in his third season at ULM. Dameron joined the ULM staff in January 2005 as a defensive assistant coach, and was promoted to defensive coordinator two months later when former coordinator Bob Trott left ULM to take a position with the Cleveland Browns. Dameron works with the Warhawks bandits.

During his brief tenure as the defensive coordinator, the Warhawks have had six all-Sun Belt honorees on defense, including recent NFL Draft fifth-round pick Kevin Payne.


Dameron joined the Warhawks after four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas. In 2002 and 2003, the Lumberjacks were ranked in the top 10 nationally for pass efficiency defense. The 2003 squad was also ranked 29th nationally in scoring defense and led the Southland Conference in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense, and ended up second in rushing defense and total defense. Dameron worked directly with special teams and the secondary, including 2003 Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year and AFCA All-American free safety Brent Hafford.



Dameron continued his coaching career at Southwest Missouri State, now Missouri State. He coached the defensive secondary and special teams from 1986-91. The Bears were the 1989 and 1990 Gateway Conference champions. The 1989 squad was an NCAA quarterfinalist, while the 1990 squad advanced to the NCAA first round of the I-AA playoffs.



Dameron moved on to the University of Cincinnati in 1996 to take a position as the defensive secondary coach. The 1996 squad ranked 13th nationally in total defense and 14th in pass efficiency defense. In 1997, he was promoted to defensive coordinator. The Bearcats won the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl, defeating Utah State. That season the defense was nationally ranked fifth in rushing defense and 33rd in total defense. In 1998, he added special teams and academic liaison duties. Four former Bearcats under Dameron's tutelage went on to the NFL.

The Rogers, Ark., native took a break from coaching in the college ranks as a defensive secondary coach for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 1999. Under his tutelage, Toronto ranked first in the CFL in total defense, scoring defense, and passing defense, and ranked second in rushing defense. Corner Adrion Smith was a first team all-CFL pick.

Dameron and his wife, Debbie, have one daughter, Krystle, a senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Debbie works for ULM's Department of Student Life and Leadership as the Coordinator of Commuter and Non-Traditional Student Affairs.





The Dameron File


Recruiting Area: Southern Arkansas

Birthdate: November 7, 1960


Hometown: Rogers, Ark.
High School: Rogers High School, 1979
College: University of Arkansas, 1983 - B.S. - Physical Education


Playing Experience: Arkansas (DB/WR - 1979-82); Memphis Showboats (USFL - 1984)



Coaching Experience: Arkansas Graduate Assistant (1983); Southwest Missouri State Assistant Coach (1986-91); UNLV Assistant Coach (1992); Murray State Defensive Coordinator (1993-95); Cincinnati Assistant Coach (1996-97, Defensive Coordinator - 1998); Toronto Argonauts Assistant Coach (1999); Eastern Illinois Defensive Coordinator (2000-01); Stephen F. Austin Defensive Coordinator (2001-04); ULM Defensive Coordinator (2005-present)



Personal: Married to the former Debbie Key of Murray, Ky. They are the parents of a daughter, Krystle, a senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
(ULM Website)

Ron Dickerson

Ron Dickerson, Jr., is in his third season at ULM. He joined the Warhawks staff in January 2005. In 2007, Dickerson moves to the defensive side of the ball after two seasons coaching the ULM running backs, including 2006 all-Sun Belt first-teamer Calvin Dawson. Dawson became the Warhawks first 1,000-yard rusher since Bryant Jacobs in 2002.
Dickerson will coach the defensive secondary, and also added the responsibility of assistant head coach. He continues to serve as the staff's NFL liaison. Dickerson attended the 2007 NCAA Expert Coaching Academy, May 31-June 3, in Miami, Fla.
Prior to joining the ULM staff, Dickerson spent three seasons at Southwest Missouri State, now Missouri State, where he coached running backs and special teams, in addition to serving as the team's NFL liaison.

Dickerson held positions with professional teams prior to his time at MSU. He worked in 2001 as an offensive and special teams intern with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and in 2000 as running backs and special teams coach with the XFL Las Vegas Outlaws.
Collegiately, Dickerson was run-game coordinator from 1997-2000 at Alabama State, spent one season as wide receivers coach for one year at Temple, and served as director of football operations in both assignments.

Dickerson played professionally from 1993-96 for the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL, and the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe.
He is a 1996 graduate of the University of Arkansas and was a four-year gridder (1989-92) for the Razorbacks at running back and wide receiver, playing on two Arkansas bowl teams. Dickerson was recruited to Arkansas by current Cleveland Browns defensive assistant and former ULM defensive coordinator Bob Trott.

Dickerson and his wife, Kendreah, have two daughters, Kristen (12) and Ashten (2). Kendreah teaches at George Welch Elementary in West Monroe.

The Dickerson File

Recruiting Area: Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida

Birthdate: August 13, 1971

Hometown: Boleyi, Okla.

High School: State College High School, 1989
College: University of Arkansas, 1996 - B.S. - Public Administration and Recreation

Playing Experience: Arkansas (RB/WR - 1989-92); Kansas City Chiefs (1993-94); Philadelphia Eagles (1995); Scottish Claymores (NFL Europe - 1996)

Coaching Experience: Alabama State Assistant Coach (1997-2000); Temple Assistant Coach (2000); Las Vegas Outlaws Assistant Coach (XFL, 2000); Tampa Bay Buccaneers Intern (Offense and Special Teams, 2001); Missouri State (formerly Southwest Missouri State) Assistant Coach (2002-04); ULM Assistant Coach (2005-present; Running Backs - 2005-06; Assistant Head Coach - 2007-present; Defensive Backs - 2007-present)

Personal: Married to the former Kendreah Spears of Mobile, Ala. Parents of two daughters, Kristen (12) and Ashten (2). Father, Ron Dickerson, Sr., is currently the Athletic Director at Alabama State.

(ULM SID)

Nutt Adds Two Coaches from ULM

Houston Nutt added two more coaches from Louisiana Monroe this afternoon. Nutt has a history with these guys. They will begin immediately and will recruit(finally) beginning tomorrow.

From Monroe Paper:

ULM defensive coordinator Kim Dameron and secondary coach Ron Dickerson have accepted positions on Houston Nutt's Ole Miss staff.
Dameron served as Nutt's defensive coordinator at Murray State from 1993-95. They were also graduate assistants together at Arkansas in 1983. "I'm excited about the opportunity and excited about the challenge of coaching in the SEC," Dameron said.

Dickerson, an Arkansas player from 1989-92, switched to the defensive coaching staff this season while earning a promotion to assistant head coach. Before that, he coached running backs at ULM from 2005-06.

Nutt Speaks to Media on Assistants

Houston Nutt met with several members of the football staff who were brought to Ole Miss by Ed Orgeron today about the possibility of remaining on staff to coach under the new Nutt administration. It appears that as of now, none of those coaches will remain for the 2008 year. However there is still a possibility they can be brought back, if some of Nutt's current Arkansas staff does not decide to follow him to Oxford.

It is my understanding Houston Nutt told the Ole Miss coaches he will be giving his current staff at Arkansas the first chance to be on his staff at Ole Miss. Nutt says he is remaining loyal to the staff that has been with him for quite some time. Five of the current Arkansas coaches have committed to come to Ole Miss to coach for Nutt. The remaining few have not decided yet. I figured that over the next two weeks the staff will get narrowed down.

There is a segment in the Ole Miss fan base who really want Hugh Freeze to remain on staff for various reasons. Some think he is the key to recruits, others think he is a wizard at drawing up plays. I have expressed before I thought Hugh would be a good coach as he develops over the years, and I think it would be great if he stayed on staff.

However I am of the belief that Houston can hire whoever in the world he wants to hire to start his new career at Ole Miss. How can you blame the guy for wanting to wipe the plate clean? This is his team now and he is free to do whatever he wants to do with it, not what some booster from North Mississippi believes should be done. I would rather him cut them lose now than keep them for one year and find out their is a personality conflict and have to bring in a new guy next year, because this is exactly what happened with Orgeron and on one case with Cutcliffe.